


We Yell Because We Care

by QianLan



Series: Same Universe, Different Day [18]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Arguing, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9681308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/pseuds/QianLan
Summary: Poe closed his eyes.  Finn hadn’t seen the blood yet.  This was just Finn being his usual selfless, wonderful self.  Poe really didn’t want Finn to see the wound—didn’t want that to be his husband’s last mental image of him—but the blaster fire was getting closer.





	

**Author's Note:**

> [Stormpilot week 2017](http://stormpilotweek2017.tumblr.com/), day four.
> 
> The prompt was for: Favorite Quote
> 
> Rated T for language.

 

 

 _Two hours_ , Poe thought.  _Two fragging hours_.  _All it takes is two hours for everything to go so fucking wrong._ He drug in a huge breath.  Two hours ago, they’d been setting up a remote communications post—no sign of the Order; everything was going well.  And then…

 

Poe squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to think about the pain in his gut.  He jerked his head up over the boulder he was currently hiding behind.  _Twenty.  At least._

_Kriffing hell._

The sound from the blaster fire was deafening.

 

“Okay, stay calm. Stay calm,” he muttered.

 

“I am calm,” said a voice from right next to him.  Poe nearly jumped out of his skin.

 

He tried to regain his composure.  “I’m talkin’ to myself.”

 

Finn laughed. 

 

Poe grimaced.  “I thought I told you to go.”  He popped up from behind the boulder and returned fire.

 

Finn gave him a cocky little half-smile.  “You did, but given that it was an idiotic order, I’m ignoring it.”  He shot one of the Stormtroopers currently descending on their position.

 

“Not how this works, Finn,” Poe grunted.

 

“Exactly how this works, Poe.”  Finn caught another Trooper.

 

“Not this time.  I’m ordering you to leave.  NOW.”  Poe turned back to fire.

 

As he sat back down, Finn raised an eyebrow.

 

“Dammit, Finn.  Would you, just this once, listen to me?  I need you to go.”

 

“What, so you can die out here?”

 

Poe winced at that and shot another Trooper.  He leaned in, close.  “Finn, someone has to hold this position.  I decided it’s going to be me.  Everyone else understood the order.  They may not have liked it, but they followed it.  The longer you stay, the harder you’re making it on them.”

 

Finn’s eyes narrowed.  _Not fair, Dameron._

 

Poe said, “Now, I’m trying to provide you enough cover to get out of here.  So go!”

 

“And I’m politely refusing, Poe.  If you want to write me up when we get back to base, feel free,” Finn said, rising and firing.

 

“Fragging hell, Finn, just go!  Please,” Poe’s voice had turned desperate.  “If you wait much longer…”

 

“Not without you, flyboy,” Finn said, keeping his voice steady.

 

Poe closed his eyes.  Finn hadn’t seen the blood yet.  This was just him being his usual selfless, wonderful self.  Poe really didn’t want Finn to see the wound—didn’t want that to be his husband’s last mental image of him—but the blaster fire was getting closer.  _Kriffing hell, Finn, why do you have to be you_ , he thought. 

 

 _Fine!_   Poe crouched down and turned so that he was facing Finn, eye to eye.  “Finn, please.  I am asking you as your commanding officer, your friend, your husband, the person who loves you more than anything in the universe, please just leave.  You have to get on that transport.”  He coughed.  _Dammit_.  He could taste blood in his mouth.

 

“I’m not leaving,” Finn said.

 

Poe felt tears leaking down his cheeks.  “Finn, let me have this.”

 

Finn looked confused and then Poe reached down, rubbed his hand on his abdomen and brought it back up.  Finn’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the blood.

 

“Dammit, Poe!”  He grabbed at his husband, searching out the wound.

 

“Now will you just go,” Poe roared as he pulled out of Finn’s grasp.   "Ow, fuck!"  He winced in pain.

 

Finn reached for him and Poe leaned away.

 

Finn’s eyes filled with tears.  “Poe?”

 

Poe shook his head.  “Nothing to be done about it,” Poe said.  “Except letting me protect you while you get the hell outta here.”

 

The blaster fire was getting way too close now.  Poe's eyes grew wide.

 

Finn put his hand on Poe’s cheek.  “No,” he said.

 

A blast hit the other side of the rock.  Finn rose and screamed as he shot down three Troopers.

 

“Please,” Poe said.  His head was swimming and it was getting hard to concentrate.  “Please, Finn, for me.”

 

They stared at each other, an unspoken argument raging back and forth between them.

 

"Please, baby."

 

After a moment, Finn nodded.  “I love you,” he said.  Then, he shook his head.  "Maker, Poe, I can't—"

 

“I love you too,” Poe whispered, shoving his husband away.  “Now, go.”

 

Finn pressed his lips to Poe’s, as he pulled back, the salty taste of their tears was still on his lips.  _This isn’t how we’re supposed to end._

 

“I’m sorry, Finn.”  Poe rose and began firing as Finn stumbled away. 

 

He pressed down the pain and just concentrated on shooting until he couldn’t hear Finn behind him anymore.  It wasn't long until the world started shifting under him and he was swaying on his feet.  The Stormtroopers were little better than swirls of white against the dark background.  Poe forced his eyes open, kept his shoulders squared and his arms locked.  

 

He’d fire until there was absolutely nothing left.  It wouldn’t take long.  His breaths already sounded raspy and wet.

 

_I love you, Finn._

 

_Please make it back to the transport safe._

 

As he began leaning to the right, unsure of where he was relative to the ground, he felt hands on his shoulders.  He tried to shrug them off, but he started coughing.

 

A voice from a million miles away swore and said, “We’re gonna talk about this martyr complex of yours when we get back to base, Dameron.”

 

Poe wanted to yell, to kick, to push him away.  _Don’t die for me_ , he wanted to scream, but nothing came.  The world was getting darker. 

 

Someone was carrying him now.  The blaster fire was deafening.  Finn was yelling and there were other voices. 

 

And then there was nothing.

 

**# # # #**

 

The first thing he was aware of was the pain.  Then, there was the noise—people talking, droids beeping, someone was beating out a rhythm with their hands.

 

Poe’s eyes crept open.  He took in a breath and choked on it.

 

Suddenly, the rhythm stopped and Finn was next to him.  “Easy.  Easy, Poe.”  He yelled, “Dr. Kalonia!”

 

Poe’s eyes focused on his husband.  “Sorry,” he tried to croak out.

 

“Stop trying to talk,” Finn said firmly.  “But yeah, when you’re better, we are having a talk.”  Finn frowned as he leaned in.  “Because if you don’t think I’m furious, well…”

 

Dr. Kalonia walked in.  “Welcome back, Commander.”

 

General Organa followed her.  “I hear you tried to die on us, Poe.” 

 

Poe licked his lips and opened his mouth, but she put up her hand.  “I’m fairly certain that your husband is going to have a few choice words for you when you’re better, but just so we’re absolutely clear, if you ever pull another stunt half as stupid as that one again, I will personally hunt you down in the afterlife, and it won’t be pretty.  Understood?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Poe croaked out.

 

“Good,” she said, nodding to Dr. Kalonia as she left.

 

Dr. Kalonia looked down at him as she began her examination.  “I think the General is expressing a sentiment that many of us share, Commander.  And when we’re able to discharge you, you'll be happy to know that there are several members of your squadron who’ve told me they’d like to have a few words with you as well.”  She smiled.  “Something to look forward to.” 

 

Finn hid his smile behind his hand.

 

She looked at a readout on her datapad.  “You’re coming along nicely.  Another week or so in here and then we should be able to let you go.  For the time being,” Dr. Kalonia said, “try not to move.  Finn has some liquid.  Drink as much of it as you can.  And if you need anything else, press the button next to your right hand.  Finn,” she said, looking over at him.  “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine, doctor.”

 

She smiled and left.

 

Finn rose and grabbed a cup next to Poe’s bed, offering him the straw.  After Poe had drunk his fill and Finn sat back down, Poe said, “So everyone hates me?”

 

“More like everyone is pissed that you thought it would be okay to die.”

 

“I didn’t want to die, Finn.”

 

“Yeah, well, next time, let’s talk through the whole suicide mission thing before making any unilateral decisions.”

 

“I was trying to protect you.”

 

Finn stood so fast, his chair fell over.  “You do not get to make that call, Dameron,” he roared.  “You do not get to say that my life is more important than yours!  Not now.  Not ever!”

 

Poe couldn’t yell, as much as he wanted to, but he got as loud as his poor throat would let him.  “And you’re tellin’ me that you wouldn’t die for me?  Really, Finn?  Really?”  He grasped at his abdomen.  “Ow,” he whined.

 

Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  A nurse ran in.  “Is everything…”

 

Finn shook his head _no_ and pointed to Poe’s wound.  She nodded and leaned in to look at it.

 

Twenty minutes later, she was gone and Poe was starting to feel the effects of his new pain medication.

 

“I’m always gonna put your life ahead of mine,” Poe said.

 

Finn pinched the bridge of his nose.  He was getting a headache.  “Yeah, I know.”  He leaned forward.  “Just next time, at least tell me what’s going on.”  He took Poe’s hand.

 

“How about next time, I don’t get hit in the stomach and nearly die,” Poe said.

 

“Well, yeah, obviously that.”

 

“Getting sleepy,” Poe said, his words starting to slur.

 

“Still mad at you,” Finn said, squeezing his hand.

 

“You and everyone else,” Poe mumbled.  “Wait till my dad hears,” he chuckled, his eyes fluttering shut.

 

“His transport arrives tomorrow,” Finn said.

 

Poe’s eyes flew open.  _Seriously?_

 

Finn nodded.  “He wanted to yell at you in person.”

 

“Fragging hell,” Poe said, closing his eyes again.  “What’s with you people?”

 

Finn leaned in, put his forehead on Poe’s cheek, and savored the warmth of his husband.  He could feel his tears fall for what had to be the hundredth time since they’d gotten back to base a few days ago.  “We love you, you idiot,” he whispered.  “We yell because we care.”

 

Poe smiled and sleepily repeated, “ _We yell because we care_.  Should be the new motto of the Resistance.”

 

“Go to sleep, Dameron.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Finn waited until he was thought Poe was asleep before putting his head on Poe’s mattress and letting himself really cry.  A horrible, loud, messy cry, as the fear, the anger, and the relief all came tumbling out.   _Fragging hell, Poe_.

 

He looked over at his husband.  _What if I'd lost you?_ He buried his face in the sheets as sobs wracked his body.

 

After a few minutes, Poe’s hand found the top of Finn’s head.  “Sweetie?”

 

Finn jerked up, wiping his eyes.  “Poe, I thought you were…”

 

“Finn, I…”

 

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Finn said, leaning back.

 

“Finn,” Poe said.  “I…”  He blinked several times, forcing himself awake.  “Sorry isn’t enough.”

 

“No, it isn’t.”  Finn took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with his hands.  “It really isn't," he said.  He sighed and dropped his hands into his lap.  "Get some sleep, and we’ll talk in the morning.”

 

Poe reached out his hand.  Finn took it.

 

“I love you,” Poe said.  It was a statement and a question.

 

“Sleep,” Finn said.

 

Poe met his eyes.  _Please tell me I didn’t ruin this_.  "I love you," Poe repeated.

 

“And I love you too,” Finn finally answered.  “Now get some sleep.”  Poe closed his eyes.  “You want to be well rested when your father comes to yell at you in the morning.” 

 

Poe grinned and murmured, “We yell because we care.”

 

“We yell because we care,” Finn repeated, squeezing Poe’s hand and watching as his husband’s chest lifted up and down, up and down, ignoring the tears that painted his cheeks, until much later he too finally drifted off into a fretful sleep.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Dear reader, I'd love to hear from you. Comments and kudos are always super appreciated.
> 
> If you want to find me on tumblr, I'm [cha-llamala](https://cha-llamala.tumblr.com/).


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